A USEFUL ALLEY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 325, 15 December 1888, Page 6

A USEFUL ALLEY.

Profks^or A. J. Cook, in reply to a correspondent who had sent him a large green tomato caterpillar, with a parasite attached writes: — "The white, egg like bodie* attached to the backs of the large green Tomato worm lar\ t eare cocoons ot a small ichneumon fly belonging to the fairilv Braconidie, and probab'y of the genus Blacus. We al^o find similar cocoons on cabbage caterpillars, and on the larva? of the grape sphinx. These cocoons were spun by laiva? that had eaten the tomato worm np a'ive, or afc least po much of it. that it can never even pupate, much less become a moth. Thus these little flies are our friends, and the fact that they are be coming more and more common is greatly encouraging. From the^n egg-like bodies the small flies soon come forth, prepaied to lay their egos in other of our insect foes. Our gardener should understand the significance of these cocoons and ne\er destroy the inspects bearing them, for if let alone they will become hi? very elhcient servants, and svill work without a boss, or direction. "